Re: Fat versus Protein

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Don't increase the protein content of the ration.  Keep it as it is and try
hand feeding a handful or two of grain every hour or so along the trail.
Try not to feed a high fat ration during the ride itself, stick to the
forages (incl/ beet pulp) and judicious amounts of grain spread throughout
the day.  You should see a difference if the lack of energy is nutritionally
caused.  Additional protein is *not* the answer.

Susan G

----- Original Message -----
From: Snodgrass, Bonnie <snodgrab@ncr.disa.mil>
To: Ridecamp (E-mail) <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 11:04 AM
Subject: RC: Fat versus Protein


> This is an old, hashed over topic I know but I'd love to get some feedback
> from endurance riders who've been feeding and competing endurance horses
for
> miles and years. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm feeding my mare sufficient
> protein.
>
> There are a variety of grain mixes available now that are high in fat, low
> in protein, high in fiber. I've fed Pennfields Enduro/Eventer 10/10 for a
> couple of years. Recently  for convenience sake I switched to Buckeye's
new
> Cadence Formula which is 10% protein/8% fat. I feed some beet pulp at
every
> meal to keep my mare 's system accustomed to it for rides. She's not a big
> eater and will only eat so much grain at a time, about 3 quarts in volume
is
> her maximum. At this time she is eating 1 lb (1 qt vol) of the 10/8
Cadence,
> 1 qt dry volume shredded beet pulp, 2 cups Buckeye Ultimate Finish (12%
> protein, 25% fat), vitamin/mineral supplements and all the grass hay
and/or
> grass she wants. She looks really good. People tease me that she's looks
too
> fat but she is a bulky Arab/Qtr cross and to be honest I've learned that
if
> I let her trim down any more she just runs out of energy.
>
>  That's really what has me wondering, the lack of energy thing. Last
winter
> I had to feed some stemmy, coarse hay that she didn't care for so I added
> some really fine alfalfa twice a day and increased her grain. She looked
the
> same, maintained the same weight and  had energy to spare. It wasn't just
> the cool weather. Now that she's back on a high fat, high fiber, low
protein
> diet she seems to run out of energy after too few miles. Does she need
more
> protein in her diet? Less fat to keep her from gaining weight?  Add soy or
> alfalfa as a protein source? Should I switch to a higher protein feed,
maybe
> eliminate the high fat supplement and feed more grain???? So many
questions.
> I'd like to hear how other people are feeding and your thoughts and
> experiences with the high fat diet.
>
> Bonnie Snodgrass
>
>
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